21. HOKUSAI (1760-1849). Chinese boy and warrior. (Sold)

KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI. (1760-1849)

A Chinese boy and a Japanese warrior.
The boy depicted is Sima Weng-gong (1019-1086) (J: Shiba Onkō),
a politician and historian in his adult life, while the warrior
is Shibata Katsuie (1522-1583), a general in the service of Oda Nobunaga.
The scene freely alludes to a legendary episode in Sima’s
childhood when, to save a boy who fell into the jar, he breaks the
container, letting the water come out.

Woodblock colour print with metallic pigments details
Shikishiban surimono, 21x18,5 cm
Signed: Getchi rōjin Iitsu
Poem by Soramitsuya Zakurogaki Maeda
From the series Five Japan-China Brother Pictures for the Zakurogaki
Club (Zakurogaki-ren goban no uchi wakan ekyōdai), a set of five
surimono depicting and pairing two figures from the Chinese and
Japanese history
Privately published by the Zakurogaki-ren, a circle of poets
affiliated to the Yomo-gawa group of poets
c. 1821

Other impressions are illustrated in: Asano. Cultivated Gift, no. 143
and no. 144 (the version without the series title).
The example in the Becker Collection is illustrated in McKee.
Colored in the Year’s New Light, no. 50 where the poem is
translated.
Another example is in the New York Public Library, no. 109385.

Illustrated in our catalogue Surimono. Hokusai-Shinsai-Hokkei-Gakutei, 
September 2024, no. 21.

Very good impression , colour and condition


Status: Sold




Item: D 378